Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-09-17
siberia. and the Exile System.

After the War Series" and the Life of
Lincoln. the most important enterprise ever
undertaken by The Century is the forth
coming series of illustrated papers upon
Siberia, and the Exile System. by George
Kennan. author of TENT Life in Siberia"
who has recently returned from an arduous
journey of fifteen thousand miles through
European and Asiatic Russia.
The forthcoming series Of papers will
embody the results of what is believed
70 be the first successful attempt by
4 competent investigator to make a careful
aud thorough study of the Russian exile
system On the ground. Before undertaking
this journey Mr.. kennan had spent four
years in the Russian empire-three Of them
in Sibera-had famliarized himself with
the language and character of its people,
and had thoroughly studied the existing
Russian literature of the subject to which
he proposed to devote himself. He went
to Siberia with circular letter of intrOduc
tion from the Russian minister of the inte
ror to the governors of the Siberian prov.
inces and began under peculiarly favorable
circumstances his work of investigation.
In the ,urse of . journey, which Occu-
pied fifteen months. and which was at
tended with great hardships and privations
Mr. kennan visited every important con-
wet prison and mine in Siberia Except
those on the Island of Sakhalin); travelled
with marching parties of chained exiles
along the great Siberian read; inspected
| convict barges. etapes. forwarding prisons.
hns itol hA
tains to the head-wa,ers of the Amur. and
made the intimate personal acquaintance
of more than three hundred exiled liberals.
revolut'Onists and 'nihilistS' in all parts
of Siberia. His knowledge of the Russian
language enabled him to talk freely not
! only with the Siberian officials.
but with the exiles and
convicts themselves. and the forthcoming
papers will contain graphic descriptions of
exile life on the convict barges. in the for
warding prisons and etapes. and in the ia
nous Ner,chnsk mines. Particular atten-
+ tinn will be given 10 such curious and little
known features of exile life as 'hungry
| strikes" the traffic in names and Identities
| among eXileS on the road. and the interest
ing communal system Of self-government
which prevails in convict prisons Illus
tratiOns will be furnished of convict slang
and argOt. of the methods Of intercOmmu-
| nication practiced by prisoners minutely
| described, including various ingenious writ
| ten ciphers and the knock alphabet" and
| translatiOis will be given OF the character
| istic songs composed and sung by exiles in
the East Siberian prison and mines.
The Century magazine sent with Mr..
| kennan to Siberia Mr.. George A. Frost. OF
Boston, artist and photographer; and the
forthcoming series o. papers will be co
piously illustrated from original sketches
and photographs of exile barges, etapes.
prisons and mines; Siberian villages and
landscapes: types of littleknOwn native
tribes, and such other objects of interest a
admit of pictorial treatment.
| The series will begin in November with
the first of several articles upon the Rus
sian revolutionary movement. entitled. re.
spectively: Prison Life of the Russian
Revolutionists:" THE Last Appeal of the
Russian Liberals" The Assassination OF
Alexander H." and THE Fate of the Rus
sian Constitution"